Drinks

Before I became a vegan, my drink of choice was cow’s milk. When I was thirsty I would pour myself a glass. Now I don’t drink cow’s milk. While I use nondairy milk as an alternative, I rarely drink it by itself and instead primarily use it in cooking or to flavor smoothies, oatmeals, etc.

So now, my primary drink of choice is water. But like most people, I sometimes find water to be bland. So here are a couple ways that we flavor water so that it is still healthy, but more enjoyable to drink.

Ginger Water

Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the skins of ginger root. Then use a knife to make small slices, using about 2 inches of the root.

Meanwhile, boil a pot of water. Once it starts boiling, add the ginger and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Strain out the ginger. If you want a tea-like beverage, drink it hot. Or, store it in a pitcher in the fridge and drink it cold.

If it is too strongly ginger-flavored, add more water. Flavor with lemon juice and honey or agave nectar.

Sun-dried Lemon Tea

Fill a pitcher of water with ice cubes. Add tea bags, lemon halves, lemon zest and fresh herbs such as mint.

Sit it in the sun for several hours. The sun has the same effect on the tea bags as hot water does.